Prediction of kiwifruit orchard characteristics from satellite images

Precision Agriculture - The dry matter content of New Zealand kiwifruit is currently measured using destructive testing of a 90-fruit sample. Dry matter content varies from 14 to 20% with a...     

Development of intraosseous infusion of the distal phalanx to access the foot lamellar circulation in the standing,conscious horse

Intraosseous (IO) infusion of the distal phalanx (IOIDP) as a delivery route targeting hoof lamellar tissue of standing, conscious horses was evaluated. Following sedation and regional nerve blockade in six Standardbred horses, a microdialysis (MD) probe was implanted into the hoof lamellar tissue of one forelimb. A purpose designed cannulated bone screw was introduced into the body of the distal phalanx, approximately 6 cm from the MD probe. Gentamicin solution (25 mg/mL) was infused at 20 μL/min through the bone screw for 2 h without the application of a tourniquet. MD and blood samples were collected at regular intervals and analysed for gentamicin concentrations.Gentamicin was present in lamellar tissue at much higher concentrations than peripheral serum. The mean concentration of gentamicin was 24.4, 20.5 and 4.4 μg/mL in extracellular fluid (ECF) and 0.28, 0.5 and 0.32 μg/mL in serum samples collected 60, 120 and 150 min after IOIDP was started, respectively. A clinically safe and efficacious IO drug delivery to the hoof lamellar tissue of standing, conscious horse was developed.     

Engaging farmers in environmental management through a better understanding of behaviour

The United Kingdom’s approach to encouraging environmentally positive behaviour has been three-pronged, through voluntarism, incentives and regulation, and the balance between the approaches has fluctuated over time. Whilst financial incentives and regulatory approaches have been effective in achieving some environmental management behavioural change amongst farmers, ultimately these can be viewed as transient drivers without long-term sustainability. Increasingly, there is interest in ‘nudging’ managers towards voluntary environmentally friendly actions. This approach requires a good understanding of farmers’ willingness and ability to take up environmental activities and the influences on farmer behavioural change. The paper aims to provide insights from 60 qualitative farmer interviews undertaken for a research project into farmers’ willingness and ability to undertake environmental management, particularly focusing on social psychological insights. Furthermore, it explores farmers’ level of engagement with advice and support networks that foster a genuine interest, responsibility and a sense of personal and social norm to sustain high quality environmental outcomes. Two conceptual frameworks are presented for usefully exploring the complex set of inter-relationships that can influence farmers’ willingness to undertake environmental management practices. The research findings show how an in-depth understanding of farmer’s willingness and ability to adopt environmental management practices and their existing level of engagement with advice and support are necessary to develop appropriate engagement approaches to achieve sustained and durable environmental management.     

Detection of feline calicivirus antigens in the joints of infected cats

Twelve specific pathogen free cats were used to investigate the role of calicivirus in causing lameness. These were divided into two groups each of six cats; one group of cats had previously been vaccinated, the other had not. Three cats in each group were given live vaccine virus (F9 related) by the subcutaneous route and two in each group were challenged intranasally with field virus (A4), either four or seven days before euthanasia. The other two cats were controls. Virus was isolated from the oropharynx of five cats and the conjunctiva of a single cat. Four of these cats had been given the field virus and two the vaccine strain; the latter two cats had been previously immunised and had high circulating neutralising antibodies to calicivirus. No virus was isolated from the joints of any cat but immunofluorescence examination revealed viral antigens within the synovial macrophages of 14 joints from five cats, three having been given the field virus and two the vaccine virus seven days before euthanasia. Immunofluorescence also demonstrated the presence of immunoglobulin and complement within synovial macrophages suggesting that the virus was in the form of an immune complex. No lameness was reported in any cat and the synovial histological changes were minimal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Conservative treatment of an incomplete longbone fracture of a hindlimb of four horses

Four horses with an incomplete fracture of a hindlimb longbone were examined. In two, the tibia had been fractured by external trauma. In the other two horses proximal metatarsal 3 had fractured during normal activity. The diagnoses were made radiographically and the horses were treated conservatively by box rest. The fractures healed satisfactorily and the horses became sound.     

Mycotoxins in fungal contaminated samples of animal feed from western Canada, 1982-1994.

Feed samples from 94 cases involving fungal contamination and suspected mycotoxicosis of farm animals in western Canada were examined during 1982-1994 to assess the incidence of mycotoxins. Samples were analyzed for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, citrinin, sterigmatocystin, and the fungal estrogen zearalenone. Samples infected with Fusarium fungi were additionally assayed for nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, fusarenone-x, 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, HT-2 toxin, and T-2 toxin. Mycotoxins were found in 21 feed samples from 17 cases (18% of the reported cases), generally at levels far below those needed to induce symptoms under laboratory conditions. HT-2 toxin and other type-A trichothecenes were detected in 5 samples, deoxynivalenol and other type-B trichothecenes in 13, ochratoxin A in 5, and citrinin in 2. In 9 cases, symptoms observed in the animals were consistent with the known effects of the mycotoxin(s) found in the particular feed samples.     

Antigen specificity of antibody responses to Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in naturally infected sheep with caseous lymphadenitis.

Constituents of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Analysis of sonicated whole bacterial cells and ether-extracted cells revealed more than 35 bands in silver-stained gels. SDS-PAGE analysis of concentrated culture filtrates with exotoxin activity demonstrated more than 15 bands. Sera from sheep with C. pseudotuberculosis-induced disease of variable severity were used to probe immunoblots of electrophoresed ether-extracted cells and culture filtrates. Twenty or more corynebacterial molecules, ranging in molecular weight from 20 to 112 kDa, in ether-extracted cells were recognized by antibodies in the sera of naturally exposed sheep with positive ELISA titers. These sera also recognized up to six molecules, ranging from, 20 to 68.1 kDa, on immunoblots of ammonium sulfate-concentrated culture filtrate. There was no apparent relationship between the stage of disease and the response to specific corynebacterial antigens in these animals.